The company hasn't yet worked out when to announce the product, he added.

Under Jobs' watch, Apple launched a mass of lawsuits globally against Samsung. The iPhone maker accuses the South Korean giant of patent infringement and what is tantamount to design plagiarism, charges Samsung vehemently denies.

Court hearings are not being delayed because of Jobs' passing, Samsung said, so it seems very odd to us that the announcement of a handset it undoubtedly hopes will kick the iPhone into the long grass would be the delayed for out of sensitivity.

The next version, the iPhone 4S, is due out later this week. Carriers are already claiming to have sold out, thanks to keen consumers ordering the gadget in advance.